The Stars Group named authorised gaming partner of NBA
PokerStars operator The Stars Group has struck its first partnership with a US professional sports league to become an authorised gaming partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
As an official partner of the NBA, The Stars Group gains the right to use official league betting data and its trademarks on its BetStars-branded sports betting site.
The operator’s brands will also be promoted across the NBA’s digital assets including its NBA TV channel, as well as via its official website, app and social media channels. In return, The Stars Group will promote the NBA across its various brands, including PokerStars.
The new partners will also collaborate on responsible gaming initiatives and implement measures to protect the integrity of NBA games.
“The Stars Group is an accomplished global online gaming leader and we are excited to work with them on their first US sports league partnership,” NBA head of fantasy and gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross commented.
”This dynamic partnership will be another way to create authentic fan engagement with league logos and official NBA betting data, while leveraging Stars' global expertise to further optimize the fan experience.”
The Stars Group’s senior vice president of US strategy and operations Matt Primeaux said he was excited to partner the league.
“This agreement enables us to use official NBA data and league marks, providing a better experience to our customers, while working with the NBA to protect the integrity of games,” he explained.
In the US, the partnership will initially focus on the New Jersey market, where the operator has launched its BetStars sports betting brand, before expanding into other states as regulation permits. Plans for a Pennsylvania roll-out are in motion, with The Stars Group partnering the Mount Airy Casino Resort, as well as agreeing a market access deal with Eldorado Resorts which could see it move into 11 additional states.
The deal is the latest gambling partnership to be struck by the NBA, with the league having already paired up with MGM Resorts, as well as naming Sportradar and Genius Sports as official data partners. The league has also agreed partnerships further afield, pairing up with La Francaise des Jeux, and naming Uruguayan sports betting operator Supermatch its first Latin American gaming partner earlier this week.